---

 
1 Sept 2004 : Column 679W
 

Written Answers to Questions

1 September 2005

The following answers were received between Friday 23 July and Friday 27 August 2004

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Polygamous Spouses

Mr. Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many polygamous spouses were granted entry clearance in each of the last five years. [185670]

Mr. MacShane: UKvisas does not hold any records of how many polygamous spouses were granted entry clearance either for settlement or for other categories of application. However, polygamous spouses would not usually qualify for settlement under the Immigration Rules. Further details are set out in Chapter 13 Annex 3 of the Diplomatic Service Procedures available on the UKvisas website: www.ukvisas.gov.uk/dsps.

British Indian Ocean Territory

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what rights Government officials have to visit Diego Garcia (a) unannounced and (b) announced under the terms of the lease granted to the US Administration for the use of Diego Garcia. [183932]

Mr. Rammell: Under the 1976 United Kingdom/United States Exchange of Notes concerning the US Defence Facility on Diego Garcia, access to Diego Garcia is in general restricted to members of the Forces of the United Kingdom and of the United States, the Commissioner and public officers in the service of the British Indian Ocean Territory, representatives of the Government of the United Kingdom and of the United States and, subject to normal immigration requirements, contractor personnel.

Turkey

Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from British citizens with shares in the Turkish companies Ceas and Kepez Elektrik who have received no compensation following the Turkish Government's takeover of these companies; and if he will make a statement. [185614]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is not aware of any UK nationals who are shareholders in either of these companies. No British nationals have made representations to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on this issue. Such individuals should seek legal advice in Turkey and the British Embassy in Ankara would be happy to advise any UK shareholders of suitable legal firms. The United
 
1 Sept 2004 : Column 680W
 
Kingdom Investment and Promotion Protection Agreement should then be used to seek redress, if appropriate, from the Turkish Government.

Cuba

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Cuban Government on the detention and treatment of (a) Jorge Luis Garcia Perez and (b) Dr. Oscar Ellias Biscet; and if he will make a statement. [186113]

Mr. Rammell: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) today (UIN 185768).

Cyprus

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 15 July 2004, to question reference 184114, what financial assistance was set aside by (a) the Government and (b) the European Union specifically for facilities for the joint benefit of Greek and Turkish Cypriots in the town of Famagusta. [186138]

Mr. MacShane: EU member states are still negotiating the details of the European Commission's proposals for the disbursement of €259 million of financial aid for northern Cyprus. Until agreement has been reached on the details, it is not possible to say where the funds will be allocated and for what specific purpose. The UK does not at this stage have any plans for unilateral financial assistance but will pay its share of the EU funding.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals his Department has (a) received and (b) made to amend the mandate of the United Nations Organisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to include authority to monitor and report on natural resource exploitation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and if he will make a statement. [186228]

Mr. MacShane: We have received recommendations from some Non-Governmental Organisations to include the authority to monitor and report on natural resource exploitation in the United Nations' Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's (MONUC) mandate. We await the Secretary-General's report and recommendations for the future of MONUC, due on 15 August, which we will consider carefully.

Departmental Administration Costs

Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the total administration costs were in his Department in financial years (a) 1996–97 and (b) 1997–98. [186063]

Mr. MacShane: Details of the Department's gross running costs for 1996–97 and 1997–98 are contained in Table 5.5 of Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 2000–01 (Cm 4601). These figures are on a cash basis.
 
1 Sept 2004 : Column 681W
 
From Public Expenditure Analyses 2001–02 (Cm 5101), Departments' administrative expenditure was reported on a resource basis, as administration costs.

Copies of Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses are in the Library of the House and are on HM Treasury's public website (www.hm-treasury.gov.uk).
 
1 Sept 2004 : Column 682W
 

China

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many visa applications from students in China have been refused (a) this year and (b) in each of the last five years. [184881]

Mr. MacShane: The information is as follows:
China⁽¹⁾

	2003–04	2002–03	2001–02	2000–01	1999–2000	1998–99
Student applications received	35,508	34,477	29,338	18,933	12,574	5,429
Students refused	11,554	9,095	7,986	5,073	3,114	1,501
Refused as percentage of received	32.5	26.4	27.2	26.8	24.8	27.6

⁽¹⁾ Financial year running 1 April to 31 March.

The figures include statistics from our missions in Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou. The majority of student applications are made in Beijing.

Departmental Expenditure

Mr Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was spent by the Foreign Office in (a) 1996–97 and (b) the last year for which figures are available on special advisers' (i) salaries and (ii) travel expenses. [184506]

Mr. Straw: During the period 1 April 1996 to 31 March 1997 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office spent £98,978 on Special Advisers' salaries.

During the period 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2004 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office spent £162,106 on Special Advisers' salaries and pension contributions.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office spent a total of £23,192 on Special Advisers' travel expenses during the period 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2004. Figures for travel expenses going back to 1996/97 are not available.

Egypt

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Egyptian Government on bringing to justice those responsible for the deaths of 21 Christians in El-Khosheh in 2000. [185066]

Mr. Rammell: We were deeply concerned by the sectarian violence in El-Khosheh in January 2001, which left 20 Christians and 1 Muslim dead. We have followed the case closely, and made our concerns known at the time. We were encouraged that the Prosecutor-General persistently sought judicial review of early judgements in the case, reflecting the authorities' concern that justice be done. We are concerned that this process seems, following a decision of the Court of Cassation last month, to be at an end. We will continue to make our concerns known to the appropriate authorities.

European Union

Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to commission a cost-benefit analysis of the economic impact of the UK's membership of the European Union. [186187]

Mr. MacShane: While there are no immediate plans to commission further research, the Government continue to monitor the need for further evaluation and assessment in this area, as elsewhere. The Government are convinced of the benefits of UK membership of the European Union.

---